St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-03
Bull Ghost, a Noted Chief
Among the Sioux, Inter-
viewed by the Globe.
He Says the Indians Are Anx-
ious to Have the Reser-
walton Opened.
A Good Deal Of the Land Has
Already Been Divided and
Cultivated.
The Indians viii Be No Bar to
the Onward March Of Civ
iliZatiOn.
From a Globe Representatiye.

FROM GLOBE Representative.
HIGHMoRE, Sept. 1.-Opportunitie S
frequently occur here for interviewing
Indians who are located on the Winnie
bago and Crow creek reservations, the
north line being fourteen miles south of
this place, and the width of two town
ships, numbered ten and nine respect
lively, counting southwark, but the
difficulty of speaking their language
prevents. This was overcome yesterday,
however. and satisfactory confab oc-
cured with noted chief and Sioux
warrior named in English ''Bull Ghost"
Let it be explained here, as an interpo-
lation, that the Winnebago reservation
is the name of the reserved section, and
that the Sioux Indians occupy it, and
that further south, lat and adjacent to Fort
Thompson, are to be found the Grows
and BruleS, all friendly toward one
another. Among the first things said
by the chief was that he liked the white
people, and that he visited them for the
purpose of becoming well acquainted
with them and with the desire to be So
cial: that he earnestly wished that the
white people would be friendly and
social with the Indians, and come and
see them on their lands. This opened
the conversation on the severalty bill.
The interpreter stated that the chief
was very urgent among the Indians to
take their lands in severalty, as the bill
provides, and that the chief knew that
the majority of the Indians were in
favor of this, and that great many had
already taken their land and have their
government deeds for it; also, that he
believes all would do this. He said,
further:
1.-THE Indians know that all this re-
served land cannot always belong to
them, to hold it in idleneSS as they do,
and that the white man is bound to have
it sooner OF later; that the Indian nat
urally is not laborer, like his white
brother, but that he can be taught to be
a worker; that if the remainder of these
lands, on which we now live, after we
have made our selections, is given to
Cur white fir LENDS,
WE WILL GLADLY WELCOME THEM
as our neighbors, and will be social
neighbOrS ourselves. We-that is, some
as many as the leaves ON the trees, and
that it Is useless for the Indian to con-
tend against their occupying the great
quantity of land the white mans gov
ernment has kindly reserved for us. We
have 40 use for it all; it
has ceased to be hunting ground
for us; warfare is over, and the
white race advances upon us with his
farming tools. instead of with weapons
of war. The white race comes to us for
our good, and now we should be good
Indians and welcome them. We visit
the settlements of the whites and are
met by their friendship. They-some
OF them-viSit us at our wigwamS and
we treat them hospitality. We see the
school houses of our white friends and
see their children there learning to read
and write. We want our children to
learn to read the Write mans books
and to write as the white children do.
We do not want our children to grow
up as ignorant as their parents, and we
want them to be able to do business
after the manner of white men when
they grow up. We believe that
the Indian will work, if he is
compelled to, on farm, like our
white brothers, and that he will initiate
his white friend until he has learned
how to do 1t perfectly. The Indian
loves the horse and cattle, and they are
his companions, and knows that they
will be much better if they are sheltered
like the white mans, and receive the
attention they will receive of the Indian
who prides himself on his pony" He
believed that but few of the Indians
would refuse to sign petition for the
opening of the reservation.
"SQUAw INDIAN"
the name by which FrenchHan who
has been with the Sioux mainly for
forty-seven years, is known, stated in
answer to interrogatories, that about
1900 of about the 1,500 Indians on the
reservation, or on those portions of the
reservation south of us and east Of the
Missouri river, have already taken their
land in Severalty.
Are you sure that twelve hundred
have selected their land?'
Eyes"
''Have these the government deed?'
Yes
''There are aboutthree hundred yet to
take their land, them"
Yes"
ssWilI they take it?''
Eyes, and with but little trouble"
''DO the Indians generally under
stand what this taking of land meanS?"
Eyes. They know all about it,"
''Will they be satisfied with it, do you
think?'
II think so. They will have to be.
They like the white people better every
year."
How long have you been living with
the Indians?''
''Forty-Seven years."
Gall the time below here?"
mo. / joined the Indians when /
was eleven years old. l went to them
of my own free will. 1 like their life.
[ was at Fort Burton for awhile. Then
[ was at Standing Rock, and most of
the time / have been below"
'sWill you ever leave the Indians and
live with white people?''
Il expect to stay with the Indians
always. They are my friends, and |
love them. l am satisfied with the Life
lead among them"
AS A PROOF THAT THE INDIANS WILL
WORK
he keeps himself continuously occupied
doing odd jobs for white men, using the
wagon supplied by the government.
His horses he has acquired by purchase
and trading He herds cattle for stock
raiserS, who contract for pasture on the
reservation and haulS wood to the towns
of white people and sells it for cash or
store trade, at high prices for each cord
of four foot or long pole wood, or posts
by the piece. The Indians also pick
plums, berries and grapes on their land,
and, carrying them to market, forty
miles distant, sell them, buying and bar
tering like adept dealers at our stores,
and carrying home their great
bundles of purchases. They pillow
their lands and raise crops, principally
corn. There are a few of them who
have their lands under a high state of
cultivation, and have fine building i'm
provements, living in their sod or frame
houses like white people, and who re-
fuse their rations furnished regularly to
the rest by the government. These say
t,ey are happier and more independent:
that they would rather work than de-
pend on the revenue of the white mans
government for their support; that they
are proud and want to sSand on the same
plane with their white brothers, equal